Glenn Beck delivers disturbing updates from Middle East, says State Department needs to 'stop standing in the way' of rescues
Conservative broadcaster and commentator Glenn Beck delivered a disturbing update from the Middle East on Thursday afternoon, revealing reports that the State Department told Macedonia to stop taking in Afghan refugees amid the unfolding horror in and around Kabul.
NBC News reported earlier this week that North Macedonia, Albania, and Kosovo all offered to assist Afghan refugees.
What are the details?
On Thursday afternoon, Beck tweeted a discussion he had with Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), who serves on the Judiciary Committee as the ranking member for the Criminal Justice and Counterterrorism subcommittee, the Intelligence Committee, and the Armed Services Committee as the ranking Member of the Air Land Power subcommittee.
Beck captioned video of the discussion, "I've heard reports that OUR State Department told Macedonia to stop taking Afghan refugees. @SenTomCotton tells me he's heard similar reports. If our govt won't save these people, WE WILL. But the State Dept. must stop standing in the way."
"Can you give me an update on the State Department?" Beck asked Cotton during the exchange. "We last night had an ambassador call, and I think it's Macedonia, they closed off — we were looking for places where we could fly people in just to hold them, and Macedonia was one of them. ... The Ambassador of Macedonia was called by the State Department and told not to take any of these people. What the hell?"
Cotton responded and said that Afghans aren't the only ones having troubles fleeing the war-torn country: Even British nationals have been unable to get inside the airport to fly at a private expense.
"I've heard heard similar reports," he admitted. "I know that our people inside the ground inside the airport both the Department of Defense intelligence agencies and our State Department officials are trying to move heaven and earth to get people into the airport and out of the country, but the senior leadership of the State Department is a different kettle of fish. I heard a story just this morning that we weren't even allowing British nationals to get inside the airport with their Afghan partners and fly to Great Britain at private expense. ... This wouldn't even have an impact on the American government or taxpayer. And it's not a country that people have never heard of — it's Great Britain."
The Arkansas lawmaker added, "I'm very disturbed by these reports, and I'm trying to get answers on all of them. At a minimum, we should be allowing countries that are willing to accept Afghans are willing to send charters ... into Kabul to do that to clean up some of President [Joe] Biden's mess."
Beck fired back, "Yes, yes, you don't want to do it, fine — we'll do it. We'll do it. But [the State Department] won't even — they are obstructing us every step of the way. And I don't know if it's out of spite, ignorance, I have no idea, I don't care, but it should stop now."
Beck is expected to appear on Fox News' "Tucker Carlson Tonight" on Thursday evening, where he will likely provide more details about the disturbing reports.
I've heard reports that OUR State Department told Macedonia to stop taking Afghan refugees. @SenTomCotton tells me… https://t.co/0Qtufz27Vs
— Glenn Beck (@glennbeck) 1629999001.0